


Who Now?

by Marsetta



Series: Willow Evans [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Alternate Ending for Battle of Hogwarts, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Animagus, Animagus!Willow, Bisexual Sirius Black, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Good Draco Malfoy, Good Peter Pettigrew, Good Petunia Dursley, Harry Potter & Ron Weasley Friendship, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, M/M, Meddling Albus Dumbledore, Misguided Dumbledore, Nice Draco Malfoy, Nice Peter Pettigrew, Nice Petunia Dursley, No Bashing, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Ron Weasley, Prisoner of War, Ron Weasley-centric, Ron raised as Lily's twin, Slytherin Harry Potter, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Well-Meaning Dumbledore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2019-11-12 23:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18020213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marsetta/pseuds/Marsetta
Summary: Willow Evans thought everything was perfect, but then the war happened. Trapped for twelve years, he gets out to find the world very familiar in a way he hadn't felt since he went to Hogwarts. Sequel to Willow Evans, Kinda need to read that first. Involves Time Travel.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! It's been a Year! Since! Willow! Evans! So, it's a bit late, I got in a minor car accident, car's totaled, but I'm fine, so's the other person.
> 
> But enough of that, this is the sequel to Willow Evans! I worked on it since last year and am glad to announce that it is finished and ready! I'll be posting on Tuesdays this year. I will try to keep to this schedule better than last year.
> 
> I don't Own!
> 
> Enjoy!

Lily's wedding was beautiful,

_"Congratulations!"_

Her hardships painful,

_"Sterile,"_

Her solutions crazy,

_"Only if you name him after me,"_

Her friends crazier,

_"Me! I call dibs! I wanna be the godfather! Please!"_

And her family perfect,

_"Welcome home, Harry James Snape."_

But nothing was made to last.

* * *

It was a month before they secured their home, the ritual taking time to prepare, and Willow was right in the middle of the war. He'd managed to save Fabian and Gideon Prewett, but the men were heavily wounded and in the hospital.

He was on a mission from Dumbledore, to find a man that would allow them access to an artifact that could change the direction of the war, when everything went black.

He's been locked in the basement ever since. If he ever gets out, he's going to apologize to Peter again.

He just hopes his family is safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was the prologue. Can't wait to show you more Next Week!
> 
> Mars


	2. The Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! So, chapter 1 is now out! Yay!
> 
> I have to be honest, I have been itching to post, but I set myself on a timeline, and by goodness, I shall stick to it! Much lluia to be had.
> 
> I hope this doesn't disappoint all those who have been waiting patiently for more! Now introducing! Drum Roll, please... Baby Draco!
> 
> I don't own!
> 
> Enjoy!

He had been in the dark for years now.

He wasn't sure how long, but it had to be long enough. His nephew was growing up without him. Lily and Petunia probably thought he was dead, and Severus was probably just as distraught.

He could just imagine Sirius alone, or with someone else.

 _No_. If Sirius thought he was dead, he would pray that Sirius could get over him and move on; he deserved that. No need to dwell on Willow, who was as good as dead.

He was stuck in his thoughts, as usual in this place, when a dull light shone down on him and the sound of small bare feet on concrete reached his ears.

Willow didn't know what he expected, but a tiny blonde boy with a small metal cup in hand was not it.

"Hello?" the boy called out softly, holding the cup before him like a shield.

Willow looked down at him strangely.

"What are you doing down here?" he asked the boy, who looked just as scared as Willow felt. What was this? Were they trying to trick him? Would they send a kid down here to poison him? Are they really that cruel? He was dying of thirst so he'd probably take the cup if the kid offered. But…

"My daddy said that a muggle lived in the basement," the kid said cautiously. "I never met a muggle afor."

Willow blinked. Curiosity. He could deal with that.

"Not a muggle, kid," he told him, watching as the kid's face fell. He's not sure if the kid was disappointed that he wasn't a muggle or because his dad lied.

"But I was raised by them. Many would say that would make me the equivalent," Willow amended. The kid brightened a bit.

"What are they? Are they gross? My daddy always says muggles like he ate peas, peas are gross. What kind of magic do they use? How big are they? Are they soft?" The kid babbled, question after question. Willow watched the boy with wide eyes—the kid really didn't know.

Willow laughed, loud and slightly unhinged. The boy stopped babbling and watched him with wide eyes.

"How old are you kid?" Willow asked; each word enunciated roughly from disuse. He hadn't used his voice this much in years.

"Fife," the boy answered. He was so well spoken for a five-year-old, but then again, he was Lucius Malfoy's son.

"A muggle," Willow started, making sure he had the kid's full attention, "is a non-magical human being." The kid's eyes widened. His mouth fell open and he started to move forward before stopping himself.

"A person without magic?" he asked incredulously, "how can that happen? Aren't everybody born with magic?" The boy's eyes were wide and his mouth slightly ajar. Willow smirked.

"Not everyone. My sister, Tunia, she was born without magic. But she's great, raised me and my twin like she was our mother after mum died," Willow told him. He could see the little gears turning in the boy's mind.

"So, they aren't gross?" he asked in disappointment. Willow chuckled again.

"Well, I'm sure there may be some gross muggles, but then, you have to remember, there are gross wizards too. You just have to know where to look," he told the boy before winking. The kid grinned. He looked so familiar. But not at all.

"I'm Will," Willow introduced. This kid needed some kind of good influence. He could just see him becoming a small replica of Lucius, and that was not a happy thought.

"Draco," the kid belted out proudly before moving forward with the cup.

"I asked mum for milk but she gave me tea instead, you want it?" The kid offered his cup. Willow should have been surprised, definitely wary, but he wasn't.

"Thank you," he said as he took the tea. The drink was still warm.

It was too sweet on his tongue, but he ignored that in favor of the refreshing feel of liquid after days of nothing.

After he was done, the kid took the cup and rushed up the steps, quietly promising to come back later.

Willow wasn't sure he would actually come back, but he was glad the kid got his first taste of muggle culture at such a young age.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to be honest (again), I feel like I'm grossly mis-writing Willow's character. How does one react to being adopted? Or even to being raised by his sister instead of his mother? I feel he doesn't feel enough feeling, or is it just the right amount of disassociating?
> 
> I'm so sorry if you find this hard to read based on his reactions to being adopted and being raised by his sister.
> 
> Stay tuned for next week's chapter!
> 
> Mars


	3. The Book

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so, I did it again. I'm super excited to post through the week, only to forget it's Tuesday.
> 
> Welp, here this is, baby Draco grows up, sad face.
> 
> There was more, but I'm writing this on my phone so its a bit difficult to do the authors note.
> 
> I DON'T OWN!
> 
> ENJOY!

Draco did come back, days later, and again, weeks after that. Over time, Willow would come to expect a visit at least once a month.

As they got closer to the kid's eleventh birthday, and his residency at Hogwarts, the boy came more often.

They talked about everything on the kid's mind. That particular day was a rant about the Weasleys.

"But Father said that they're blood traitors," Draco hissed angrily at Willow, who simply rolled his eyes at the dramatic boy.

"Your Father also refers to muggles as lesser beings, and you know how fascinating they are. They can't fly with brooms, so they made aeroplanes," the man reminded him. Draco huffed.

"I guess," the boy conceded with a long drawn-out sigh. Willow huffed good-naturedly, holding out a hand. Draco knew he couldn't touch; a spell that would hurt Willow was set for any physical contact, but he got as close as he could.

"Why are they blood traitors? Do you know?" Draco asked, looking at him expectantly.

"Not really. It could be anything, from refusing to marry into a family to siding with muggles over wizard folk. But I've got a feeling it's a bit more complicated than that. Why don't you try and befriend one and ask them yourself?" Willow joked. He was not expecting to see the calculating look in the boy's eye.

"Do you think there'll be one at Hogwarts when I go?" Draco asked slowly. Willow had a bad feeling about that look but decided not to address it.

"I'm almost positive."

* * *

When Draco got home for the summer after his first year, he went into a rant about his new 'friends' and how they kept excluding him from everything.

Slytherin won the house cup, but only barely. His new friend Harry got them the last fifty points to beat the Gryffindors, who were only forty-five points under.

He told about meeting a boy on the train and becoming friends, about the Weasley who was too boorish but friends with his new friend so Draco puts up with him. He informed Willow that Weasley got offended when he asked why Weasleys were considered blood traitors.

"I had to promise I was only curious, he made me  _promise_ , Will!" Draco complained. Draco didn't like the obligation of promises, but he had a craving for information. "He's going to ask his mother for me."

After that, it was a rant about how Harry spent more time with the Muggle-born and the Weasley instead of him, and more about the three leaving him out of everything.

"Even Longbottom was included in the ending feast!  _Longbottom_!"

Willow just chuckled and nodded along in all the right places, a familiar niggling feeling in his heart and head about some of the stories he was hearing.

* * *

It was halfway through that first summer that Willow understood something: he had to get out. By the time Draco got into the third year, he had to be out of here.

He didn't know why, but there was something he had to do that was out  _there_ , somewhere.

When Draco came down the next weekend, Willow made sure he knew to look for the animagus book Sirius and his group used when they were in school. It was hidden somewhere in Hogwarts. It was the only magic he knew of that would allow his freedom.

"Animagus?" Draco asked, more to confirm. Willow nodded.

"Okay, what'll it do? So I know I've got the right book," Draco asked. Willow tried to make sure every detail was given―he needed it, and he didn't want Draco to get the wrong one.

And then he waited.

* * *

The boy didn't come back until after his second year, and the rant this time was about the girl Weasley. He was still excluded from a lot of their activities, but that was better for him, "since it gave me time to search for this," Draco crowed, pulling out the book on animagi.

Willow took the book happily and started to flip through it. It described the change and told exactly what he needed to do.

He chuckled happily when he noticed the neat scrawl of one James Potter in the margins of the book.

Further rants were interrupted when Draco informed him that he had to go to dinner with his parents. Willow spent the rest of the day reading in the painfully-dim light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's that! plot stuff!
> 
> Slytherin!Harry! There is another originally Gryffindor student who is now Slytherin, can you spot them? Guess in a comment! I'll give you a shoutout if you're right!
> 
> Mars


	4. The Dog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3, at your service. Wish there was a way to set updates to update automatically. :p
> 
> I'm basically just writing authors notes and things at once so I just have to press upload basically. Oh well.
> 
> Hope you guys like this!
> 
> I see how it is, no one likes The Boy. :( Tis not a well-loved chapter. Eh, you win some, you lose some.
> 
> SHOUTOUTS! nadasnape has guessed correctly! I won't announce it who the other Slytherin is, it'll be shown in the last chapter who it is, so if you want to continue guessing, go right ahead, or you can cheat, but where's the fun in that?
> 
> I totally forgot to post on this website last week! I'm so sorry! Here, I'll give you two chapters today. :3
> 
> I don't own!
> 
> ENJOY!

It took him all summer to change fully. And when Draco went down to inform him that he would be leaving for school on the hour, he found a small dog waiting patiently.

"You did it," Draco grinned, crouching a bit. That was the test. If Willow could touch him, it meant he could get free.

Arms encircled him, and Draco picked him up. Willow was so happy that they ended up toppling backward.

* * *

Getting past Draco's parents was way too easy. Willow was almost angry at the two for how little they pay attention to their son, that he could sneak a dog onto the train without them blinking an eye.

Meeting Draco's friends was painful. Dangerous memories came to mind, of himself, and these two.

It was the bushy-haired girl that plagued his mind, and the mini James clone with Lily's eyes.

His nephew.

Draco didn't know why Willow all but attacked Harry, but none of them said anything.

When everyone was settled down, Willow noticed a familiar rat sitting perched on Ron's legs.

"So that's what my dad told you? Do you think he's really after you?" Willow noticed the young redhead saying. He looked up at his nephew and noticed just how strong the resemblance was. He was almost sorry for Severus, having to raise someone who was probably a James clone, the man had been insufferable as a child.

"I don't know, I mean, maybe? It's just, he would have known I survived before, right? So why break out now of all times?" Willow turned to see Draco's reaction. The boy was silent and pale.

"Who?" Draco managed to choke out. Willow nudged his friend's knee. He knew they weren't talking about him, but it was hitting close to home.

"Sirius Black, the murderer that sold Harry's parents out to the dark lord." Willow froze, his eyes going wide. Sirius? Selling Lily and Severus out to the dark lord? His heart broke into a thousand pieces. His sister and best friend were dead?

"I was reading yearbooks in the library." The bushy haired girl paused, blushing red when the others looked at her.

"I was curious," she grumbled. Draco had told him about the girl finding a wizard that shared her last name, she was probably trying to see if there was any familial connection.

"Anyways, as far as I could tell, from years 71 to 78, Sirius Black and your father were the best of friends." Willow backed up here. Wait, hold on, that didn't sound right. Sirius and Severus weren't friends until seventh-year, when Willow convinced them that killing each other was a bad idea.

"But if Black was on such good terms with Potter, why sell them out?" Willow howled, long and loud and ignoring anyone trying to stop him.

A teacher actually came to their cabin. A teacher that shocked Willow from his anguish.

Lupin, Remus Lupin, was standing at the door.

"What is going on in here?" the man asked with a small frown. The rat on Ron's legs acted up at the appearance of the man as well, confirming in Willow's mind that he was, in fact, Peter Pettigrew.

"I'm going to have to ask that you keep your pets quiet," Lupin spoke calmly.

They couldn't do more before the train slowed to a stop.

"I don't think we're in Hogsmeade yet," Hermione noted.

Cold seeped into his bones, memories of war and death, people dead and alive whom he loved, Lily and Hermione and James and Harry, his sister and his parents, the Prewetts, the Longbottoms, every death he'd seen blending into one, every memory brought to the forefront.

His visioned blacked.

* * *

As a dog, they wouldn't allow him to eat any of Lupin's calming chocolate, which sucked, because he really needed it.

The main thoughts that filtered through his pain-addled mind were 'not again' and 'I thought I changed things', which startled him and made him wish with more gusto that he was allowed to eat Lupin's chocolate.

But he couldn't chance them finding out who he was until after whatever bad feeling he had abated.

* * *

He ended up spending the most amount of time around Ron, since he was the center of every bad feeling. The boy didn't seem to mind, petting his head subconsciously when he sat in class.

Draco didn't say anything about it, so none of the others tried to keep him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ? What did you think? I like having Willow following Ron around. I go into more detail about what happens in the next story, Ron Weasley and the Who Now? But that one is not done nor beta'd, so it'll be a bit longer before you get that.
> 
> NOTE: I have all the author's notes written out now and have been steadily adding to them through the weeks, so don't be surprised if some notes have tangents and/or seem really long.
> 
> Oo, oo, I've been wanting to do a one-shot, based solely on me not wanting to focus on the works I've already got going, so hows about a challenge? I will leave a question at the end of each chapter, and at the end of the story, if you have guessed correctly on every question, I will write you a oneshot of your preference?
> 
> Question 2: What kind of Dog is Willow?
> 
> Mars


	5. The Shack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a good 1000 words more than the first three... Hm... But it fits in the story, there wasn't really a place I could cut it... LIE I just thought of a place I could have cut it that would have been great for dramatic tension and cliff hangers! But alas, it would have cut the chapter too short for my tastes.
> 
> There was another that would have made this chapter 1000 or so words, which would be much closer to the other word counts, but... eh, I've already got the chapters cut. You all are very lucky peeps. :3
> 
> I don't own!
> 
> ENJOY!

It all came to a head on a night with a full moon. Because nothing was allowed to be simple anymore.

Sirius Black attacked Ron three times over the course of the school year by this point, the boy being saved by Willow, his rat, and by Harry and Hermione pulling him out of the way, in that order.

But that was all ending as the man gripped his teeth into the boy's leg and viciously pulled him under the Whomping Willow. Ironic, in Willow's opinion.

Draco was nowhere to be found at this point, so Willow followed Harry and Hermione into the tree Sirius and James had planted thirty years ago.

Ron had been holding Scabbers (and that name was a total coincidence) when he was dragged down the hole.

"I don't know how you did it, Willow, but you aren't going to fool me again!" Willow heard Sirius yelling when he ran into the room behind Harry and Hermione.

"Wait!" Hermione cried as she pushed past the deranged man to stand in front of her friend.

"I've waited for so long! It's time I kill the traitor," the man screamed, waving his wand at Ron. Willow had to do something.

"Sirius!" Lupin's voice cried from the door. A wand waved, knocking Sirius' out of his hand.

"Remus," Sirius turned to his old friend, "it's, it's him, it's Willow, he, he did this, he betrayed Lily, he killed them," Sirius tried, looking at his oldest friend.

"Sirius, that's Ron Weasley, Willow is dead, you killed him," Remus told him slowly, like he was reminding him.

"No! I didn't! I wasn't the secret keeper Remus! Willow was, I," Sirius started.

"Willow is dead," another voice came from the door.

"Professor Snape," Harry breathed. Willow snapped his head up. He had been avoiding Severus the entire year, afraid of what he'd see.

His oldest friend was old. He looked more like the man from his memories. Dark bags under his eyes and hair a mess.

He wanted to hug him.

"You," Sirius sneered. "You have no right to be here, with him," Sirius pointed at Harry.

"It was for his safety," Severus intoned, but Willow could see the heartbreaking anguish in the man's eyes. Why did he leave his son if it hurt him that much?

" _'For his safety'_  bollocks! He's your son!" Everyone was silent.

"Stop it!" another voice joined in. Willow was starting to feel like the room was four people too small.

"Peter, turn back, this doesn't concern you," Lupin stated with a sigh. The three children were just confused.

"Like hell it doesn't concern me, James and Lily were my friends too, and so was Willow, and if you keep calling him a traitor I'm going to, uh, do something drastic." Peter glared. Severus looked somewhat impressed.

"I didn't kill anyone!" Sirius cried out, grabbing his hair. Willow grit his teeth; it was now or never.

He could feel everything about the change. Every twisted bone, every shrink or break, his skin loosening and tightening, face changing, everything.

And everyone was silent, you could hear a pin drop.

"Willow," Severus breathed. And then Sirius attacked, physically.

"You killed them!" Sirius cried out, punching at Willow's face.

"Sirius, Stop," Willow hissed, tripping the man and falling on top of him.

"I've been stuck in Malfoy's basement for twelve years!" Willow yelled, pinning Sirius down.

He was getting tired of the intense silences that kept happening on and off.

"I was on a mission and blacked out, this was right after the mini's birthday party with the bits," Willow growled, his fingers digging into Sirius' shoulders.

He was not prepared to be jerked up by the back of his shirt or for the strong arms of his best friend to envelope him, but he didn't complain.

Sirius was still lying on the floor, his face up and eyes vacant. Remus was at the door with a small, shivering Peter, both looking at him with wide eyes.

"You're alive," Peter murmured before slingshotting into the hug. Lupin stayed back, edging around them to get to Sirius.

Willow took a step back, looking at his best friend with calculating eyes, before punching him.

"What did you mean _for his safety_?" Willow bellowed. Severus looked down with a frown on his face. A sound akin to a dying cub sounded behind him.

Looking around quickly, Willow noticed the trio clustered together, Harry and Hermione on either side of a downed Ron, the younger redhead's leg out in front of him was a bloody mess.

"Don't tell me it was another one of Dumbledore's plans?" Willow inquired, his lips twitching down when he saw how small Harry was as compared to his father.

Spitting image he may be, but James had been taller than Harry in first year. But then, Lily had never gotten taller than Peter, and Harry did have half her genes.

"He's been fine, living with Tunia," Severus murmured, only to get a shocked look from Harry.

"Fine?" the boy croaked, looking at his friends for support. The bushy haired girl stepped forward with her arms out, hiding the two boys from view as best she could.

"What's going on? What did he mean by 'he's your son?' Who's whose son? Who is he? Why was Sirius Black after Ron of all people?" the girl demanded in quick succession.

"Willow?" Sirius' voice cracked behind him. When Willow turned, ignoring Hermione's questions, for now, he watched Sirius, hanging off Lupin's shoulder, as he limped toward him. Willow hadn't realized how bad the man looked before.

His eyes sallow and skin paler than a ghost. His hair and beard were overgrown birds' nests, like that memory from years ago, before they had started dating.

"What did they do to you?" Willow asked, moving to Sirius' side. He was not expecting Sirius to pull him into a kiss, but he wasn't complaining either.

The gasps and fake gags reminded him that they weren't alone.

Willow was not surprised to see the looks of surprise and disgust on the trio's faces. It was almost hilarious. Lupin and Peter had grins on their faces that Willow hadn't seen in years, and Severus was watching with a smirk.

"First off, My name is Willow Evans," Willow started, turning to look at his nephew and his friends, "I'm your uncle, Harry," he told the boy.

"And James, while hilarious and lovable after school let out, was not your father," he glared at Lupin and Severus who tired to protest.

"He deserves to know, Dumbledore be damned. That man doesn't know how to mind his own business," Willow grumbled the last part, turning back to the trio.

"James was the doner that allowed your birth, but your legal father, was the man married to Lily, my sister. And you have to promise not to get mad at him; he puts way too much faith in your Headmaster for  _his_  own good. I swear—" Willow pressed fingers into his temples. Such simple solutions ignored for ' _the greater good_ ', bah.

"Snape? Is my dad?" the tiny Slytherin asked, watching them all with wide eyes.

Willow smirked, looking at his nephew with a fond expression.

"That he is, I hope he hasn't been too moody. If it wasn't for your mother and I, I fear how antisocial that man would be."

Harry looked at his friends with wide eyes. Okay, maybe Severus was worse than he thought.

"And you're his uncle?" Ron asked with a small voice, "you look nothing alike," he said before blushing red.

"I was adopted," the man replied. Harry looked up at him again, this time with reserve.

"Why does everyone say Potter is my dad?" Willow looked at Severus with a raised eyebrow but doesn't comment.

Severus heaved a sigh. Lupin looked like someone killed his puppy while Peter and Sirius looked somewhat relieved.

"I, had some things I needed to do, they put everyone associated with me in danger," Severus told him. Willow glared angrily before grabbing Severus' arm and jerking it forward, lifting the sleeve before Severus could stop him.

"I'm going to kill him!" Willow growled out loudly, only Severus' grip on his arm stopping him from storming Dumbledore's office.

" _We didn't know he was evil before,_ " passed through his mind. Memories of another, distant life.  _Black eyes staring lifelessly up at him, a half smirk on his face._

"I can't lose you again!" Willow cried out when Severus tried telling him to stop.

"I've lost everything Severus,  _Everything_ , and I'm not going to lose it all again " He snarled the last part before a glance out the window had him going dead still.

Everyone froze.

"Lupin," Willow started, "did you take the potion?" Willow asked, referring to the potion Lily, Severus, and Potter had concocted to allow Lupin full mental control of the werewolf half of him during transformation.

Lupin paled, glancing out the window to see the low hung moon just starting to rise.

"Severus quick," Willow commanded, waving at the man to do something. He couldn't remember the spell Potter had used that night with Lily and Severus that kept the wolf from smelling, hearing, or seeing them. His hope was that Severus did.

In quick succession, Severus threw up a familiar shield, Sirius and Peter shrank, and Lupin grew.

Willow was curled around Harry and Hermione, just in case, while Severus was curled around Ron, who was pale in terror. Willow was filled with a nauseous feeling from his gut and an ache in his head that told him he'd have an episode as soon as the drama died down.

Sirius and Peter led the werewolf out of the hut, But Severus didn't release the shield right away, just in case.

"Is everyone alright?" Willow coaxed gently once the three animals were gone. He could hear both Harry and Hermione's breath laboring and hitching, probably on the brinks of their own panic attacks.

Looking over, he noticed the deep blush on the injured red head's face as his teacher stood. Well, that, surprisingly, didn't send any anger into his bones like he thought it would. He had Sirius now; his crush on his best friend was gone.

And since Lily was dead (Willow keened on the inside for his sister) his best friend deserved happiness, even if he had to wait four years for the boy to come of age.

_"This is highly inappropriate, Mr. Weasley,"_

_"I'm old enough, and I'm not taking part of any of your classes,"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have fun with this, but it does get a bit... guh when no one else enjoys it. Can I see some love in a review?
> 
> Question Note: You don't have to answer before the next chapter comes out, you have until the end of the story to answer, and if you guess them all correctly, preferably without cheating, I'll even write you a one-shot long after the story has been published.
> 
> QUESTION 3: Where were the two areas I could have cut off at to make it a bit more cliff hanger'y? It'd be more toward the beginning and middle.
> 
> Can you believe it's already been a month since I first posted? Jeez. 
> 
> Mars


	6. The Prodigal Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha, I forgot to edit everything, But now I have! Words of wisdom SonChildren, when you get your story back from the editor, go over it a couple of times, not so much to find their mistakes, but to make sure it still sounds like something you wrote, it's still your story. With that in mind, I love you dear Beta Reader, the lovely miss zigostia! All of you should adore her as well!
> 
> Warning, Author rant, ignore if pleased: GAH! Spring Break was last week, but I got no break! It was an entire week of chores followed/proceeded by exercising with my sister at no o clock in the morning. I need sleep! And with no car, I have to wake up at 4 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and 5:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays to catch my stupid bus on time. Saturdays are filled with dying inside. I was just kicked out of my gaming group because I didn't like a rule for a game that was dumb. Just know that it's never okay to take someone's points just because they have a similar word, I don't even care if I was trying to help the other team, it was a dumb rule.
> 
> But yes, so that was my week last week. My friend let me die at his house and we played games until our eyes bled and I had to go home for church. Now you get this awesome rant of epic proportions. Just know that many people need sleep and we should have a worldwide holiday that is literally just the whole world going to sleep for 24 hours, and if someone can't sleep, then they have to at least rest, like, stay indoors and just read or exercise in private home gyms or whatever.
> 
> Anyways! Sorry for that...
> 
> Onto the story!
> 
> I don't own!
> 
> ENJOY!

Willow sat opposite Dumbledore, a glare on his face. He knew that Dumbledore was doing what he thought was best for everyone, but that didn't excuse what he did to Willow's best friend.

"Am I to believe you still don't remember your time before adoption?" Dumbledore had the gall to ask. Willow glared harder and clenched his jaw. He wasn't here for his memories, no matter how curious he was.

"Am I to believe you still manipulate people  _for the greater good_?" Willow ground out, hoping to at least catch the man off guard.

But the infuriating twinkle was still in the man's eye.

"Sirius will be staying with the Weasley's for the time being. Molly has promised to keep his existence private." Willow continued to glare.

"I will be staying with my sister and nephews," Willow told him pointedly. Dumbledore's twinkle dimmed slightly.

"Unfortunately, I would not advise that," Dumbledore started, only to be cut off.

"I don't care what you would  _advise_. It was  _your_  mission that I went on that made me lose 12 years of my life, I lost my sister and a very good friend, my boyfriend was sent to  _Azkaban_ , and everyone thought I was  **dead**!" Willow shouted, his temper getting the best of him.

Dumbledore watched him with narrowed eyes, the twinkle gone. Willow never thought he'd miss the mischievous sparkle, but at that moment, the cold hard truth was that Dumbledore had plans, and Willow was in the way of those plans.

"Look," Willow sighed, forcing himself to calm down, "I miss my sister, I miss my family. I'll stay under the radar, but I'm going to see her, whether you like it or not," Willow finished with a strong determination.

Dumbledore watched him silently for another minute before smiling, the twinkle back in his eye.

"Of course, you will probably want to travel with Mr. Potter." At this, Willow glared again.

"His name is Snape, just like his father, just like his mother," Willow snapped. Dumbledore didn't react beyond chuckling out an "of course, of course," before waving at the door.

Willow wasted no time in departing, going to find Draco and tell him he wouldn't be returning with him to the Manor.

* * *

Petunia gaped at the man behind her nephew. She hadn't gone with her husband to pick the boy up, but she was sure they never agreed to another house guest.

It took her a second to recognize her brother; the large shaggy man looked nothing like the tall gangly teen or the awkward young adult. This man had bags under his eyes; his hair was past his shoulders, a beard was hanging almost to his chest. He was a stranger to her now.

And that's when the terror built.

"You're dead," Petunia whispered, backing away. Vernon was in the kitchen, staying far away from them. Petunia could only guess what the man before her had done to her husband.

"Sirius killed you. You killed Lily," Petunia growled, her fear being overridden by anger. She still didn't move, her fists clenched at her sides. This was the boy she raised, this was the man who killed her sister.

"No, Tunia," the man started, only to get cut off by a stinging slap.

"Don't call me that," Petunia growled, taking a step back with her hand now held close to her chest. Her nephew had inched away and was now hidden with his uncle in the kitchen.

"I didn't kill Lily, the last thing I remember is Harry's first birthday party, the one we had to delay a month because of Severus' teaching exam," Willow told her sternly, a hand to his cheek.

Petunia paused, her back ramrod straight, trying to remember everything back then. At first he seemed normal, but now that she remembered it, he avoided her a lot after that party, he didn't talk to her at all.

"If Lupin's correct, they may have replaced me with a double and convinced Lily and Severus to use them as a secret keeper," Willow told her, taking a step back.

"It took me twelve years, but I escaped, Petunia, I'm back for real," he told her, taking a step forward when his sister moved.

The two were hugging, tears in their eyes.

"Never do that to me again," Petunia whispered into her hug. Willow nodded against her cheek. He would try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks again to zigostia, she has agreed to help me by beta'ing a Harry Potter Choose Your Own Adventure text-based simulator that I'm writing, so you should love her to bits as I do.
> 
> Please, please, please! Volunteer to help out "Hogwarts: A Simulation"! I've hit a roadblock story wise. Though, I can tell you that I'm putting some extra effort into customizing pets.
> 
> Question 4: How did Willow react when he first met Vernon Dursley? Can be found in Willow Evans.
> 
> Mars


	7. The Adjusting Period

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter this one, Sometimes I torture myself, and sometimes I forget, but posting Chapters is hard sonchildren.
> 
> One of the shorter chapters. Eh.
> 
> Going off that, I didn't realize that it was Wednesday until like, five minutes ago. Sorry for the wait.  
> (For my AO3 peeps, I totally forgot to post last week! So sorry! You get two chapters today. :3)
> 
> I don't own!
> 
> ENJOY!

Willow detested his nephew. Not Harry: Harry was just as mischievous as James and Sirius without the better than thou attitude. No—his nephew Dudley.

The child was spoiled beyond belief. He thought he and Lily had been able to get away with things, but this kid.

In the six weeks he'd spent with the kid, he'd had to endure a torment he had not felt since he attended Hogwarts, back when Sirius and his friends were known as Potter and crew.

He had finally had enough when he saw Dudley pushing Harry off a chair so he could have the last of the smaller boy's ice cream.

"Okay," Willow grunted, standing from the table, startling his brother-in-law, and grabbing the little troll by the back of the shirt, dragging him away from the table.

Petunia and Vernon started to protest, but one glare from him stopped them.

"When we were kids, Lily guilted me into giving her my desserts for over six months. When you found out, she was grounded for a month and I got her dessert for the duration. When I thought Lily wouldn't notice if half her potatoes went missing, but she did and told you, you scolded me and had me wash dishes for a week.  _This_ ," at this he shook Dudley, who was making only token protests but was otherwise still, " _This_  is unacceptable, how long have you been letting him get away with this? James was never this small Petunia, and you know full well that while Lily was; Harry shouldn't be this scrawny." Willow let go of Dudley, the boy falling to the floor with a thud.

Petunia was pale, looking at him with wide eyes.

"He's Lily's son, Petunia, and I'm sorry, but your boy is a pathetic bully. Sure, go ahead and spoil him, but allowing him to treat his cousin this way is wrong," Willow finished, glaring at his sister before storming off to his room.

* * *

"I don't see why I have to do this," Willow bemoaned, following behind his sister as she dragged him around London.

Harry and Dudley were home with Vernon, neither boy wanting to spend too much time with him. After  _that_  night, Dudley had been avoiding him, and Harry had decided it was in his best interest to stay away from him too, just in case Willow lost his temper again. Not that he would, but…

Willow glared at the barber shop that Petunia pulled him into.

"Oh goodness,"

* * *

He had to admit, grudgingly, that he felt much better. His hair was back to his preferred length (just under his ears) and his beard was mostly gone, trimmed to a half an inch from his chin.

His sister forced him into an outfit that was very reminiscent of his brother in law, which made him feel terrible. He'd see if Arthur or Severus had something for him to wear later. But for now, he was stuck with the things his sister got him.

Harry stared up at Willow when he got back, his large green eyes shining with shock.

"Can I help you?" Willow prompted, watching his nephew with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do you look like Ron?" Harry questioned in a whisper, his face turning red in embarrassment. Willow grinned.

"Don't know, shortstop," Willow offered, running a hand through Harry's wild hair, making it stick up on end.

Harry pouted, smoothing his hair down, trying to tame his noir locks.

"Maybe you're a Weasley. That day we met, you said you were adopted," Harry stated, looking at him in a way that reminded him of Draco.

"Hm, I've asked Arthur, he said that there weren't any missing Weasleys in the year I was born," Willow told him offhandedly, going to the kitchen and pulling out a book.

"Ron's dad? You knew Ron's dad? You know Ron's dad?" Willow ignored Harry's questions for the rest of the day, a feeling of abandonment in his heart, the same feeling he had when Arthur first told him that it wasn't possible that he was a Weasley.

Harry soon gave up, glaring at him for a full five minutes before huffing and leaving him alone in the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if it's obvious, but that "oh goodness" is the hairstylist that looked up when they entered the store.
> 
> Willow looks like Ron? You don't say.
> 
> Question 5: What was Molly Weasley's take on being a mother of seven children in Willow Evans?
> 
> Mars


	8. The Triwizard Tournament

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters five, six, and seven are the shortest chapters, not including the prologue, coming out in the 700s, while the rest are 800 or more, not going over 1900 words.
> 
> I love it when life works out for me this way. Meh. How have you all been? Looking forward to the next chappie?
> 
> I don't own!
> 
> ENJOY!

Willow didn't expect to go with the Weasleys to the Quidditch World Cup. He fully intended to stay home and entertain himself while the large family treated Harry and Hermione to the event of a lifetime.

But Arthur had insisted; had also invited Sirius. And now the larger dog was circling him and barking happily. Willow couldn't help but bark back and grin (as best he could as a dog. His tongue was hanging out).

He hadn't expected the Weasley family to be so happy to see him after all this time. But there they were, happy and content, and he even got to see the Pruitt brothers. When he inquired about Bilius though, he found out the man had died five years earlier.

Willow pushed his thoughts aside as he followed the family into the stands.

They ran across the Malfoys, Lucius just as cold as Willow remembered, and Draco greeted Harry and Ron curtly before making an excuse and following them up to their booth, leaving the older blonde alone (not that he seemed to care).

Willow was happy that they seemed to be getting along better.

He was also happy that Ron wasn't alone in cheering for the Bulgarians, as Draco sided with him against his brothers.

He had a memory, of standing alone in his cheering, of Harry and Hermione laughing as the twins teased him. But he shook it off and watched the game happily, standing beside the light haired duo as they cheered for Viktor Krum.

* * *

Willow had the distinct feeling that Ron was coming out to him. He knows that no one else was told, as they didn't have that look in their eyes that everyone had when he first came out.

_Molly Weasley stared down at him with a sad look in her eyes, her lips pursed, "are you sure?"_

_The twins frowned identically, their eyes clouded with something like disappointment._

He shook it off as he reassured Ron without assuming anything.

He noticed that Harry seemed to be glaring at the duo at times, his green eyes narrow as Ron and Willow excused themselves to talk.

He didn't know what to do, so he ignored it.

* * *

Letters from Harry were always short and to-the-point questions, sometimes an answer for something, but usually a question.

Willow hadn't thought Harry would even try to ask anything, but when he had returned to Petunia's home, there had been an envelope delivered for him. Harry asked if he had ever heard of the Triwizard Tournament.

Memories of  _water, fire, fear, anger, jealousy, loss_  filled him.

But he replied that he hadn't. Harry hadn't sent a reply after that. So Willow assumed he didn't want regular letters from him.

Ron on the other hand, he sent several letters that first month.

Apparently two other schools were arriving, and he had written an entire paragraph about Viktor Krum and how he was going to be attending his school for the year.

Willow could feel something at the name, a fond remembrance of a long forgotten crush. He hoped Ron would have some luck in this. He also hoped Ron would tell his friends before they found out on their own. Willow thought it would be better that way. In his experience, bad things happen when your friends find out you're gay by walking in on you making out with your teacher―

Willow shook his head. He'd never made out with a teacher before. But the strong feeling of mortification at the thought was bone deep. Willow shook it off and sent the boy a warning about how his sister Petunia didn't take it well, being surprised like that, while Lily and Severus had better reactions since they were told by him directly, without actually telling Ron why he decided to tell his sister and best friend.

Ron replied with a sullen-looking letter about knowing and trying to find the right time. Willow smirked. Ron had never actually told him he was gay, and this was just as good as him saying so out loud.

He just hoped Ron would do it before anything bad happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words are hard.
> 
> Let me know what you thought! I'm trying to make the questions somewhat relevant to the chapter, but also make them a bit harder. Not like, something that would be answered just by reading the chapter. Is it too hard? Eh. WOrk for your story pleebs! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
> 
> Question 6: What happened 24hours before Bilius died?
> 
> Again, super sorry about missing last week!
> 
> Mars


	9. The Written Word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go SonChildren! Plot stuff comes in now! Well, later, but now!
> 
> Author's Note you can Ignore:
> 
> So... I have to be honest, it is sooo hard to write for a character/pairing that no one cares for. It saddens me how little people like Ron. I've seen more Snape love than I've seen Ron love, and that is saying a LOT. And writing for this paring, be it Severus/Ron or Sirius/Ron, it gets really lonely. I get all this love from the few of you I have, but then I check the views and such, and it's close to abysmal compared to even a couple of oneshots that I have that aren't Ron centric. It gets to the point where I question if I should continue writing in this pairing/with this character. Don't get me wrong, I'm still gonna do it, I love them too much to stop, it just get's hard sometimes. I think that's why it took me so long to finish first Willow Evans and then Who Now. I've still got quite a few stories I haven't posted and haven't worked on recently.
> 
> I don't know guys, sorry for this, I hope this didn't bum you out. Plus side, Cedric Diggory is mentioned in this chapter. :3
> 
> I don't own!
> 
> ENJOY!

He had not expected two angry letters when he got back from London with Petunia.

Harry asked him several questions about friends fighting. Willow was curious why he would think  _Willow_  knew the answer and he was offended at his nephew's lack of faith.

He wrote about how, at their age, things would be overwhelming and to just calm down and wait; things would work out as long as he wasn't overly hostile.

The letter from Ron made a bit more sense, telling him how Harry couldn't even trust him about entering into the competition, and how could he trust Harry with anything if he didn't trust Ron in this.

Willow wrote about misunderstandings and tempers. He told Ron about how he had isolated his twin as a child when he found out he was adopted by assuming she knew and had kept it from him. He told the boy to calm down and think about it. He told him that those few months isolated from his sister were the worst months.

The next week he received a letter from Hermione, the first of several he was sure, thanking him for helping her two idiots and asking him if he had any advice about boys. Apparently, someone caught her eye but she wasn't sure if it was mutual.

Willow told her to just ask. He told her that, as a boy, it was different. The expectations of boys and girls were different, and while it was socially acceptable for the girl to wait for the guy to make the first move, the only real way to know and not dwell on it was to ask, even if it went against social norms.

It took a while for him to receive a reply to that. And of course, when one letter came, so did two others.

Hermione telling him she asked. and then immediately ranting about the woes of being in love with a gay man.

Harry asking if he knew Ron was gay and if that was the reason the two of them had been so close during the summer, with a warning against trying anything with his friend because it would hurt Sirius and Ron and he'd have to hurt Willow if he did.

Ron told him that he panicked and blurted out that he had a crush on Krum when Hermione tried asking if he had a crush on Lavender Brown. The only thing about that was, if he panicked, why would he blurt out his actual crush?

Unless…

Willow blanched. Did Ron really not notice the way he described Krum? And if Krum wasn't his crush, who was? It couldn't be… Willow smirked; he'd love to see how this played out.

* * *

Willow wasn't sure why he decided to buy the garbage that was The Daily Prophet, except maybe to laugh at the hilarity that was Rita Skeeter's terrible articles about Harry.

He was not expecting to see Harry and Hermione on the front page, whispering in a hallway, nor the large print above them calling Harry 'The Boy Who Steals'.

Petunia looked up when Willow sprayed his tea over the table, a reprimand on her tongue. She stilled, her mouth slightly ajar, when Willow doubled over laughing.

Petunia took the paper from Willow, her lips pressed thin when she noticed the picture moving, before snorting as she read through the page.

Vernon was not amused when he came home to find the two sitting on the couch, reading through a week's worth of papers and laughing.

* * *

A few weeks later, Willow got three letters. Hermione's was an incredibly detailed letter that painted a picture of the Yule Ball as she viewed it. Some of her wording felt weird to Willow, specifically that she never told him who Harry and Ron took to the ball.

Harry wrote to him about having to dance in front of everyone, and said it was embarrassing. Again, he was very vague. He grumbled that at least Draco got to take a girl with him. And that seemed really odd.

But then he got to Ron's letter, which was golden, detailing the whole night from his point of view, and now Harry and Hermione's vagueness made sense.

Willow howled with laughter when he read that Harry and Ron went to the ball together and had to dance like a couple in front of the whole school.

* * *

Willow and Sirius followed behind Mrs. Weasley as they gathered for the Triwizard Tournament's third task. As dogs, no one really paid them too much mind, though some girls stopped to pet Sirius' fur, and a few choice comments were heard about mutts being allowed into the school.

Watching was boring in and of itself, as they were too small to actually see beyond the heads of the students in front of them, and Mrs. Weasley forbade them from leaving her side, so waiting was torture. The feeling of something bad happening was also very prevalent in his bones.

He was terribly right when Harry suddenly crashed before everyone in a lump on the ground, his body limp and bloody.

Racing ahead, Willow pushed the boy onto his back and noticed that the major shock was a cut running along the boy's arm. Otherwise, the boy looked relatively unharmed, if not a bit mussed up. He must have hit his head when he returned.

Something was wrong, though. He had the feeling that someone else should be here, lying in a heap beside a screaming Harry. Images of Harry in a red and black shirt flashed through his mind. Willow shook his head and took note of the green and black shirt just to reassure himself.

"Is he going to be okay?" someone asked when the nurse arrived. Willow turned to see the other Hogwarts contestant, Cedric Diggory, watching the proceedings with a worried look on his face. A gut feeling of relief filled him, overjoyed that this kid was standing there beside his father.

When Harry woke up, he told Dumbledore and Willow about Voldemort's return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha, I do like pointing out that Harry is in Slytherin, it's just... I don't know, I just like it.
> 
> Things have changed. :3 Couldn't let my boi Cedric die now could I?
> 
> Question 7: How many mistakes did Willow make when he snuck out to London?
> 
> Mars


	10. The Placement Problem/Solution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So close to the end! I don't know if I should be excited or not... People who only read completed work will start clicking on the story, but then, you all who are following will come to the end for another six months or so until I get the next story finished! (may actually be a year, but I'll shoot for six months, fingers crossed!)
> 
> I don't own!
> 
> ENJOY!

Everything was tense after the Triwizard Tournament. Dumbledore kept giving Willow weirdly assessing glances, like he thought Willow was somehow the reason that Voldemort came back in the first place.

Draco Malfoy refused to go home after school ended, and instead followed the Weasleys home, refusing to leave even though he insulted their home whenever he had the chance. Ginny ended up punching him.

When Grimmauld Place became available, it allowed Draco to leave the Burrow without panicking, like he had before. Sirius took it upon himself to teach Draco as much as he could:

"As his uncle, it is my job, no no, my duty, to teach him the true ways of a prankster," Sirius told him when Willow had asked.

Unfortunately, that led to Draco and Harry waging a prank war on Ginny and Hermione. Ron had claimed immunity, since he was Ginny's brother and Harry's best friend. But in reality, he and Willow had taken to throwing small scale pranks and blaming it on anyone else along with the twins, who were appalled at not being invited into the war.

All in all, life between Harry's fourth and fifth year was calm, if not anxiety-ridden.

* * *

Willow was waiting impatiently with Sirius as they waited for Harry to arrive. Something had happened while he was staying with Petunia, and if his arrival now said anything about it, it was bad.

Willow had flashes of memory that made him think it had something to do with Dementors, but he didn't want to believe it. He used the time waiting for Harry by observing Ron and Hermione, who were sitting side by side on the couch, their heads bent forward over something in Hermione's lap. Everyone stood when the door opened, Tonx waltzing through with a smirk on her face and the boy they'd been waiting impatiently for trailing in behind her.

"And we're here!" she called out, pulling the kid in farther and pushing him into Draco, who had been walking by the front door when it opened.

The boys grunted as they collided, hard enough to send the both of them to the floor.

"Harry!" Hermione and Ron cried out as they stood, dropping the letter they had been examining onto the table. Willow noted that the writing was sharp and the words long, a mix of English and Bulgarian, a language he only had a passing familiarity with thanks to reading a couple letters from Krum via Hermione. But the letter didn't look to be in Krum's handwriting.

Willow was shaken from his thoughts when Harry's arms encircled his waist, small fists clenching in his robes.

"Missed you," Harry whispered before moving to Sirius, his hug looser, but still desperate. Willow had a feeling that whatever happened at Petunia's was much worse than he anticipated. Willow noted that Harry had gotten along better with Dudley after Willow's intervention; something about bonding over 'Uncle Willow is being horrendous', if their overheard conversation was to be believed. Maybe something happened to him?

"We have a lot to talk about," Willow told his nephew, motioning everyone into the kitchen, they needed to discuss what happened and what they would be doing about it.

With only Sirius, Willow, and the four fifteen-year-olds, the kitchen was silent, the door closed to block out sound and give them the illusion of privacy.

"Dementors attacked me, Dudley was with me at the time, so were a few of his friends," Harry admitted after a minute of awkward silence. Ron and Hermione were quick to comfort him while Draco paled in his seat.

"I did what I could to protect them, but the ministry found out," Harry told them, his arms wrapping around himself.

"They wanted to snap my wand." The silence in the kitchen was deafening. The sound of a couple thuds outside the door told Willow that the twins were listening in, the duo cursing loudly enough to be heard through the weak muting charm.

"Dumbledore stopped them, but I've still got a trial on the sixth," he finished, looking at the table with a narrowed gaze.

Willow cringed. The old man could be annoying, intervening where he shouldn't, but there was no denying that he was an asset they couldn't afford to lose.

"Don't worry Harry, I'm sure Dumbledore will sort everything out," Sirius told his godson comfortingly. Harry's friends shared dubious looks before nodding as well.

* * *

Dumbledore did, in fact, sort everything out. Willow didn't have to worry about Harry as the boy rode off with his friends on the train. He did have to worry about some minor problems with his memory though, telling him he shouldn't allow Harry to go to Hogwarts alone (without him) but he ignored them. He had another urge to stay with Sirius because something was telling him he didn't have a lot of time left with him.

* * *

He was right behind Sirius when the man bust through the ministry doors. He was right beside him as they fought black-cloaked figures, he was right in front of him when Bellatrix sent the curse.

It was different, he didn't know how, but something was inherently  _different_  about what was happening. Lots of things have felt that way for him since coming back from life in the Malfoy basement. Harry and Ginny being Slytherins, Draco and Hermione being friends, Peter being nice. Just, a lot of things... and this situation was no different.

Sirius cried out as the two were pushed backward, but he reached around and used their shared momentum to pull them out of the way before they could go through the veil.

Unfortunately, Bellatrix's curse did something to Willow, and when he landed, his head smacked against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Muahahahahahahaha! Also, the answer to who else made it into Slytherin is in this chapter, did you catch it? Again, I reiterate, Muahahahahahahaha!
> 
> OH NO! Next Chapter is the Epilogue! I... I can't even! I thought I'd had more time! I don't, I don't know how I feel about this guys. It's, not a good feeling, but then, I'm super excited to show you all my work. Till next chapter darlings.
> 
> Question 8: What gift did Sirius give Willow that his twin ended up borrowing?
> 
> Mars


	11. The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES! Last Chapter! The Epilogue. It is a sad day for followers, and a happy day for those of you who, like I have a tendency of doing, read only completed fics! This story has been opened to you and you have now enjoyed (hopefully) the amazing world of Willow Evans, story dose.
> 
> The next story is being worked on, no worries Followers, you shall have more in the nearish future... hopefully.
> 
> Sooo... the sadness is creeping in now. It is legit there. I honestly havent worked on Ron Weasley and the Who Now in weeks... My Dudes, college is terrible and I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to join. This semester was the first in five semesters that I got, not one, but two bad teachers. Not that they're bad teachers, but they didn't teach in a way that is good for me. Legit tell me what to do and I'll do it, one doesnt tell us to do anything, the other tells us that we should already know how to do things so she skips parts. Dudes, I'm a step by step hands on learner! I need instruction with steps all!
> 
> sorry bought that.
> 
> But the point of that was, with my comic being worked on over the summer, I wont have time to work on RWatWN until sometime in the fall. I'll do my best to get it out some time next year. Love allyall peeps! Have a good summer SonChildren!
> 
> Much hope to be had in this AN!
> 
> I don't own!
> 
> ENJOY!

He has always hated the dark. He never let it get to him, because he had older brothers who would tease him about it, but it unsettled him. The inability to see, the all encompassing nothingness that seems to make you feel utterly alone in a world of black.

Lily once told him that she wasn't afraid of it as much as it intrigued her. He told her that she could dwell in the dark on her own; he'd much prefer light; sunlight or fire, he wasn't picky.

Moving his fingers, he was relieved when he could open his eyes.

Too much light was only a fleeting thing. Once his eyes adjusted, he was more than happy to open his eyes to the world.

Until he saw Sirius looking down at him with a missing arm and dark circles under his eyes.

"Willow," Sirius breathed, a smile spreading over his face.

He blinked. Willow? Was that his name? He was sure it wasn't. He had another, didn't he?

"Who?" he ended up asking, frowning at the look that crossed Sirius' face.

"Willow?" Sirius' eyebrows drew down into a look of frustration.

"I'm going to go get the nurse, stay put 'till I get back," Sirius told him sternly, his hand resting on the patient's shoulder as he stood.

He didn't know how he got here, he didn't know what was going on.

And that's when every memory that had been locked away bombarded his mind.

Memories of being the youngest boy of six with a younger sister, memories of a twin and a single older sibling, of loving parents, of a dead mother and alcoholic father, of best friends with black hair and varying eye colors. Of book worms and werewolves and rats and—

He let out a painful scream, fingers reaching for his hair, his grip pulling at the red strands, blue eyes hidden behind clenched-closed eyelids as thin lips parted for a continuous scream that delineated every negative emotion under the sun, from fear to anger to sadness; loud and shrill and deep in varying octaves as he let out everything that had been stored away with his memories.

There were people trying to calm him down, trying to pull his hands away from his hair before he ripped it out, a glass bottle that was pressed against his lips before he shook his head. He didn't need potions, he needed to let everything out before he could let anything in.

He didn't stop until he heard it. His own voice, asking if there was anything he could do to help.

 _His_ voice stopped him. Because he did it. He saved him from having to go through what he went through. He heard more voices join his.

Harry, Hermione, Severus, all alive, he didn't hear his family though, and the sudden thought that they didn't survive turned his heart to ice, but with the pain-free way he spoke; he wouldn't be so verbal if his family was dead, would he? _He_ hadn't been.

He hadn't realized that he was staring at himself until Sirius cleared his throat.

Ron laughed, his throat raw.

"It worked," he whispered. He had used those words before, with Dumbledore when he first arrived in that time.

Back then, it was enough to have gotten there, to have survived the trip. But now he realized: he had no idea what he would have done if he had stayed as an adult with his memory intact.

There wasn't anything he could have done without screwing up the future in ways that he couldn't even imagine.

He laughed again. The future was so similar. He didn't change much, only who Lily married, and saving his uncles, but that was it. He was there for Draco, but Draco was the one who changed things, not Ron. He knew Draco could, the man had been his personal mediwizard; he was a good person; after you stripped him from his title and his father, of course, bad influence that man was.

"What worked?" Harry's small voice cut through the haze of memories. A reminder that this wasn't _his_ Harry filtered through his mind. This wasn't the boy that wore red and gold, who detested the blonde Slytherin that Ron would later come to rely on, this wasn't the boy who lost his godfather and parents, who lost a friend at 14, who had to live with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

This was his nephew, the boy who was treated decently by his aunt and uncle, who started to get along with his cousin years before the first time around, the boy who sported green and silver, who laughed with people Ron had grown up despising, whom he helped on a letter to letter basis.

"Everything," Willow answered. He wasn't Ron anymore. He couldn't be. Ron was standing behind Harry, watching him with a frown. Ron was the boy who befriended a Slytherin, something Willow never would have done the first time; Ron was the one who admitted to his friends that he was gay before they caught him kissing a teacher. This Ron was his own person, and he didn't deserve Willow trying to take that from him.

He'd tell them eventually, maybe. But until then, he basked in the thought that everything was going to be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Muahahahahah! I can't help but grin right now peeps!
> 
> I get so emotional at the end there, when Willow denounces his name, as that isn't him anymore. :3 X3 XD
> 
> I don't actually have anything more for this, I plan on ending all my stories right about here, but I guess I can start working on something if I get enough feedback wanting it. Maybe a one-shot in the POV of the next gen? Eh. Up to you guys.
> 
> I avoided it to the best of my abilities, but I couldnt wait any longer. See you next story!
> 
> No more questions now my dudes! And the winners up to now are:
> 
> No one!
> 
> If you'd still like to guess, again without cheating please, skip the next part, as I will be revealing the answers below.
> 
> Spoilers
> 
> Spoilers
> 
> Answers actually
> 
> Not spoilers
> 
> Cheat Sheet
> 
> Cheat Sheet
> 
> Questions:
> 
> 1\. Who is the other Slytherin? Ginny Weasley was sorted into Slytherin.
> 
> 2\. What kind of Dog is Willow? Jack Russel Terrier, which is also Canon!Ron's Patronus.
> 
> 3\. Where were the two areas I could have cut off at to make it a bit more cliff hanger'y? a) "And everyone was silent, you could hear a pin drop." AND b) "He was not expecting Sirius to pull him into a kiss, but he wasn't complaining either."
> 
> 4\. How did Willow react when he first met Vernon Dursley? He gagged.
> 
> 5\. What was Molly Weasley's take on being a mother of seven children in Willow Evans? Anything is possible.
> 
> 6\. What happened 24hours before Bilius died? He saw a Grim.
> 
> 7\. How many mistakes did Willow make when he snuck out to London? Six
> 
> 8\. What gift did Sirius give Willow that his twin ended up borrowing? A tiara.
> 
> Mars


End file.
